Top 5 tips for report writing

Tis the season to wrap yourself up in a blanket, make a big pot of tea, take out your reams of assessments, strike up a good music playlist and plug in your computer while cancelling your life outside of school. 

Yes, you guessed it. Report season is upon us. 

Last week I was weighed down by bags and bags filled with observation notes, files of assessments and USB sticks galore...ready and revving to produce a lovely, colour-printed A3 sheet of paper for parents to read at the end of semester. 

...Until I got sick, then told myself I have a couple more weekends to finish reports. 

So, here I am, surrounded by stacks of paper, and typing like there's no tomorrow. 

As a relatively new teacher, I think it's very easy to feel overwhelmed by the prospect of writing reports for your class. Every school does it differently, and to be honest, every semester, my process of writing varies slightly - but there are some tips which I found helpful when I first began. 

And, let me assure you, the process does get easier. 

1. Know how your school operates and plan accordingly

First port of call for any teacher who has just started teaching, or joined a new school, or joined a new stage/grade team: find out how your school does reports. Ask about things like:  

* word/character count

* phrases they like/don't like

* who you will submit your reports to

* time frame for writing and submission

* format that your supervisor wants to read your reports in

* subjects that you will be reporting on (and if you have any generic comments)

Most helpful tip is to talk to other teachers who have been on the grade before and request samples so you're writing along the same lines.

To help you waste as little time as possible, write a top, middle and low comment and take it to your supervisor for feedback. That way you won't have written gazillions of comments only to have to re-do every. single. one. again. 

2. Know how YOU operate and plan accordingly

I am someone who desperately needs a plan and some kind of routine in order to be productive. I also need lots of time to produce an assignment/any written piece. But I have friends who are able to pump out an HD assignment overnight (grr...how do you do it?!). Either way, you get an indication of how you operate - either you need to plan time for yourself weeks in advance, or be strict and ensure that the weekend before your comments are due, you have a little free time to sit down and write your heart out. 

3. Create an observation book at the start of the year

I'm sorry if this one is too late - but there's always next semester to do it! 

Schools are very busy places - and your brain doesn't always remember absolutely everything for you and produce it on demand, especially when you have to write specifically about a child for their report. 

My recommendation is to get yourself a big scrapbook, wrap it up so it's pretty (mine's bright yellow - nice and sunny! Also, now I can't lose it), and then create an academic record page for each of your children. Along with this, I create a spreadsheet that holds all my marks and ensure I have a hard copy of the results in my scrapbook at the end of semester for easy reference if I'm not in my room.

Have your observation book on your desk in an obvious easy-to-reach spot. Have stacks of post-its on hand when you're on the run during class and you're observing your children during a writing lesson, maths, sport, or in group activities. Jot down notes about their interactions, their responses and engagement in class and then stick that post-it into their record page. 

This is SUPER helpful when it comes to reporting because you can open up their page and refer and reflect really specifically on that student. It also enables you to see change over time and consider what "Johnny" is doing better (or dropping in) this semester than he was previously. 

3. Sort everything using a consistent system

Ok, so apart from me being really OCD about sorting, this is a really helpful thing to do in terms of record-keeping. I have a big file with all of my kids' assessments in it. I have a post-it on the front of each assessment stack telling me when they completed it, anything that I need to re-teach, and if anyone was absent and needs to catch up on the task. I keep their assessments filed by subject, and the stack of assessments sorted in alphabetical order. This makes looking for tests so simple later on. 

Take time to organise yourself during the year and you'll thank yourself later. 

If you're an organised chaos kind of person - just make sure you have some kind of system that works for you and that is consistent. It helps report-time to feel a little calmer and less like you're drowning in a sea of paper.

4. Save, save, save!

Just like a uni assignment, reports are really important to save and have copies of. The last thing you need is for your USB containing all of your reports to crash the night before submission. It happens, and it's not pretty.  

Save your reports, and make sure you know where another copy of your reports might be; e.g. email your reports to yourself or cloud it. Because being caught out is not fun. 

PLUS you want those reports for the following semester/year - especially if you have nice phrases that you like using! Sometimes inspiration strikes one year, and is absent the next. 

5. Revisit your reports

If you type things up, print at least one copy off and then use that to help you do your first edit. Don't do it all in one hit. Write, then go for a walk, or have a nap, or hang out with people, or leave it for a couple of days. Then, return, sit, read, and edit. Sometimes seeing things on paper in hard copy is easier than on a computer screen. 

Also, supervisors often prefer hard copy to soft copy - but check on that. 

If you have a long-suffering friend/significant other/family member/colleague who can read your reports for you, ask them to do so. Ask them to check that your report doesn't sound too biased; sometimes you don't realise it in the writing, but it does happen. Get them to call you out on it.

So, there you have it. Hopefully they're helpful tips as you wade through terms of work which have to culminate in a written report. Remember, too, that these reports aren't just for the parents - although it might feel that way. These can be really helpful as a reflection tool for you as a teacher. They help you to clarify in your mind where your students are at so you can plan for the next term/year. 

OH, BONUS THOUGHT: Touch-typing is the unsung hero that saves so much of my time, brainspace and energy. It's a really, really useful skill to have. I'll be honest: I took this skill for granted growing up, but I'm ever so thankful to our computer teacher who forced us to type with a tea-towel over our hands to make sure we could type accurately and quickly. Reports are increasingly computer-based, so touch typing is very very helpful!!!

Learn to Listen

I have been so tired and unfortunately, am rather ill this weekend. But I think it's meant that I've had a chance to slow down and take stock a bit better (before getting onto reports and assignments...). 

This semester has been filled with assessing students. Scarily, my students are only in their second year of formal schooling. Yet, due to reporting and curriculum pushing, we've been spending quite a lot of our time working through formal assessments - not unusual for the kids in my school or any school in our area, I believe. 

But I realised something sad this week: it had been a long time since I'd heard what's been going on in the lives of my kiddies. So, over 'Crunch n Sip' time last Friday, we sat and just talked about whatever had been happening in the kids' lives. And I learnt a lot. 

I learnt that a lot of them were tired not just because of school but also because many of them were having houses renovated, so lots of moving and getting used to a new environment to sleep in was happening. 

I learnt that a few of them had very little time on their hands because their out of school time is so structured.

I learnt that several of them knew family members who had been in car accidents over the past year. 

I learnt that lots of them like running between the washing at home when mum or dad has hung it out to dry in the sunshine. 

I learnt that someone was sad because their grandfather had to go back overseas this week. 

I learnt that one of them was looking for a new place to live.

There were heaps more stories, but as I sat and listened, I was struck by the wonderful realisation that while these kids were so keen to share, they were all so keen to listen. They listened to each others' stories and giggled and asked questions and reveled in the chance to interact with one another. 

The other thing was that I realised how all of these out-of-school factors were impacting on my kids' learning in class. Why so many were tired. Why so many had been clingy or less responsive in various weeks previously.

A lot of them crave the chance to be heard - to just chat and interact with people face-to-face. In a society where we're apparently becoming more disconnected and isolated because of internet connection (ironic, I know), it's refreshing to remember that it's not always like this - and it shouldn't be. 

Our school operates at break-neck speed - drop the ball, and as a teacher, you're spending weekends and holidays trying to play catch-up. It can be a great thing, there are so many opportunities for the staff, students and the community to take advantage of and be involved in.

But.

I have to constantly remind myself to re-center myself and remember what, why and who I am teaching. We're not just a factory of mark-generating robots. We teach people, and I teach to make a difference in the world. To make a difference, I need to know my kids. 

That is, I have to learn to slow down, not get caught up, and learn to listen. 

Time flies

It's been particularly quiet on here...because in real-world non-cyber life, it's been absolutely hectic! Hard to believe that there are only about 6 more weeks of term to go.

There have been plenty of highlights to choose from, but here are some of the funnest ones that I managed to snap photos of (I need to get better at photographing activities as we do them..): 

My kids tried doing wet felting for the first time (last term) - it was a bit time-consuming, but the children had so much fun. The 'marbled' look was particularly effective. From these pieces that they made, the students created toys and puppets - very cute. 

Thanks to Raw Art, we created some clay 'African'-inspired masks. Again, something the kids adored thanks to the very hands-on nature of the task! This is the second year I've worked with the staff from the Raw Art company, and they were fantastic as always; very explicit, and came with all their own gear to ensure your classroom remains (mostly) clean by the end of the session. 

 With a local expert who came in and did a great talk on growing fruit and veggies yourself, the class planted some snow peas. With much commitment, the kids ensured the seeds were watered each day and they kept a very keen eye on the peas' growth. Much to their joy (and my quiet relief), plenty of the peas sprouted and the kids could take a plant home over the holidays.

Finally, apologies for the bad photography (there was much to do and see on this day) - but this was a quick snap from our trip to a 'Historical Farm' which took the kids back from 2015 all the way to 1889. We have been learning about family life in the past, and this excursion was great! The kids got their own costumes to wear and were wandering the grounds doing 'old-fashioned' activities, learning about the history of the area, and even got new 'old' names! (Some of my kids got named Pearl, Arthur and Mildred, and were asking if their parents had to call them that once they 'returned to 2015'.)

I hope this term is treating you well! :)
missT

What holidays? (+sheetshare)

So, over here it's the school holidays (HUZZAH!).

Time for a trip on a flying car? 

Courtesy of a creative student...who turned the flower into a propeller. Love it. 

Before term ended, I had several questions from class parents about what they should do with their kids over the break to ensure their kids don't lose everything they'd learnt over the term.

Personally, I think holidays should be for resting, recooperation and relaxation. So when I had to field questions about holiday work, I wasn't certain what to say. Sure, there were a couple of kids whose letters and sounds could benefit from consolidation but equally important was the need for the kids to return to school next term, rested, focused and ready.

Here are some suggestions that I'm sure the well-seasoned parents out there already do. These are mostly if you're around home for a 'stay-cation':

• Trips to the library or a bookstore - encourage the kids to look for their own books
• Reading with a relative - get them to listen to books being read; expands their vocabulary
• Journal entries about each day - writing skills
• Gallery visits - general knowledge/inquisitiveness expanded exponentially
• Day trip to the zoo or aquarium - general knowledge
• Going shopping - can be great for developing numerical awareness
• Cooking - great for building numerical awareness in measurement
• Craft project - like a puppet show (papier mache!), or creating your own book
• Gardening
• Sport in the park
• Junk craft - pick up a whole lot of odds and ends and use your imagination!

SHEET SHARE
If you're looking for something a bit more...directed, possibly in the first few weeks back of term, I also have some very basic number fact cards (click to download!) - nothing fancy, but develop their use into a game/competition with a chart and the kids who adore working with numbers (trust me, they do exist...!). Print on cardstock or paper then laminate, and zip lock/box for repeated use.

Happy holidays!

Back and beginning again

So...this has been an extremely quiet corner of the world for the past...year. Oh dear.

A lot has happened in the past year: not least of which was another job move at the end of term 1 in 2014. I can't believe the whirlwind that it was. Come term 2 of last year, I had been appointed a permanent post which meant up and leaving my happy little classroom and setting up anew.

I ended up teaching grade one, and, thankfully, am back on that grade again this year! Here's a snapshot of where I get to play during term:

For the moment, though, happy easter! Hopefully more posting can happen soon. We'll see - hah. 

classroom arranging

Hello! I'm back. Having survived the onslaught of new faces, new information and getting settled in, I thought I'd quickly share with you the transformation that my little withdrawal room has undergone over the past month.

This is what my room was the first time I saw it:

TIP: Make sure you have (at least) one totally shelf-free wall with nothing stacked up against it - and it will make your room seem like you have oodles more space!!

With much excitement and anticipation, I add a little, change a little and rearrange a lot more of my little space each afternoon as part of my 'wind down' from a busy day at school.

Here's what my space looks like now:

The room still has a bit of a way to go, but with a bit of TLC, colour, desk re-arranging and time, I've quickly come to love the little space that is mine. Bit by bit, and as what we do changes, the wall arrangements will keep being altered, but I love that each afternoon, I have many curious little Kindergarten and Year 1s popping their heads into my room to say hello and see what's changed.

It's a pretty fun workspace :)

New year, new job

So, I know it's been a while since I last posted (last year, to be precise) but summer has been one big thing after another - and this week is no exception! You're now reading the blog of a full-time ESL teacher - crazy times, and very unexpected. It still feels very surreal to me, and today, being the first day, was just this whirlwind of names, faces and discovering my own little classroom, tucked into a corner of the Early Stage One building.

I love it.

I'm still getting over the shock of having a job, and then I have this quiet feeling of apprehension as I list off all the bits and pieces that lie ahead - including meeting parents, programming, decorating my own classroom (!) and finally meeting the kiddiwinks who I'll have the privilege of teaching. I only hope I can meet the challenges to come.

So here's to a new year, a new job and, at long last, a new blog post.

Wheee!